Summer time soccer in a desert is a great idea!
Expansion Rumors Megathread
- Thread starter MagnusPax
- Start date
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
It's really no worse to play in the desert of the American southwest than it is to play in the intense humidity of Orlando and the rest of the American southeast.
Yeah but that doesn't mean that there should be soccer played in Vegas. At least the proposed Atlanta MLS/NFL stadium will be indoors.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
I'm not a huge fan of the idea of Vegas because of the fact that it's not really that big of a city outside of the strip and all its famous nightlife.
However, an MLS team would be the only major sports team in the city. I don't think that you can exclude them from getting a team purely based off of the fact that the weather is hot during the summer.
BossNYC
Registered
Vegas is in the top 20 growing cities in America.
As are San Antonio, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Oklahoma City and Nashville.
Just saying.
Here's a list of cities by population of their metro area:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_of_the_United_States
Las Vegas has 2 million people in the neighborhood, so plenty to draw from.
Average high temperature is above 90° from mid-May through most of September, and above 100° from mid-June through August.
https://weatherspark.com/averages/31890/Las-Vegas-Nevada-United-States
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
How many of those 2 million are of the economic status to be able to go to MLS games? I'm not an expert in all things Vegas nor do I pretend to be. That's why I ask.
Also, the weather is a dry heat. It may be very hot, but at least there is almost no humidity whatsoever. Having grown up in an area with dry heat I can tell you that 90 degrees with 0% humidity is better then 80-90 degrees and 60-80% humidity.
If temperature is that big of a problem and if Vegas ownership can afford it they should just build a roofed stadium.
21Architect
Registered
An open air soccer stadium in Las Vegas would be a disaster for players, fans and MLS.
An MLS team with a dome in Las Vegas would do very well. That city is hungry for a pro sports team.
An MLS team with a dome in Las Vegas would do very well. That city is hungry for a pro sports team.
This could not be more off. I was in Vegas during one of their hot stretches this summer - 110+ degree heat. At one point I thought I'd walk over to a restaurant that was a few blocks away from my hotel. I got around 100 yards from the hotel and turned back to get a cab. Not because a taxi would be more comfortable, but because the walk would be more seriously damaging to my health.
This.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
I've lived in the heat my whole life and if I had to pick which was worse dry or humid heat I'd defiantly say humid heat. Dry heat may be bad but it has nothing on humid heat. I guess it's just a matter of opinion.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
If only they had a dedicated ownership group willing to spend the extra money to roof the stadium.
BossNYC
Registered
Said the guy living in South Florida where it's really hot AND humid.
But yes, a roof would be in the cards. I think they could position their schedule so it is heavy on home games during the early spring and late fall, too.
Very sparingly night games in mid-summer.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
Or hey could just play all their home games at night. Not exactly an ideal situation, but it would at least solve part of the intense heat problem without having to build a domed stadium.
I didn't say dry heat is worse than humid heat. I'd take dry 90 degrees over humid 90 degrees anytime. What I said (or at least was trying to imply) was that 80-90 degree humid heat (ala Florida) is still livable. 110-115 degree dry heat is unbearable. As in 3 minutes in the stands and your done, let alone playing soccer.
Who else is looking forward to Qatar 2022? What a mess that will be.
BossNYC
Registered
With the number of warm weather teams we are getting I'm starting to believe, a little, that a winter schedule might be possible in a few years?
Let's say with expansion our Southern teams are:
1. Atlanta, 2. Houston, 3. Miami, 4. Orlando, 5. Los Angeles 6. Los Angeles 7. San Antonio 8. Carolina 9. Tennessee 10. Dallas, 11. San Jose 12. Sacramento 13. San Diego 14. Arizona 15. DC United
That would be 50% of the league in areas were it averages 45 degrees or higher in December, January, and February.
You could go heavy on Northern home games in August, September, and October (~2 Northern games for every 1 Southern game). Start switching to a more Southern schedule in November and December (~2 Southern games to 1 Northern game or whatever). Take a 4 week break for January. Start up with Southern games only for 2 weeks that would get you into mid-February, which is just a couple weeks earlier than MLS starts now, and you can maintain the ~2 to 1 ratio of Southern games until March and regular service could resume for March, I assume playoffs would start mid-April and end in lay May?
Then the playoffs would be in the warm months. I think I like that.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
That schedule idea makes sense in theory, but how would it be affected by FIFA dates and the other sport in events in the USA? Wouldn't MLS be in direct competition with college football, NBA, NFL, College Basketball, NHL and whatever other nonsense is on ESPN/Fox Sports?
I kinda like having MLS take place during the summer. It has relatively little competition with other sporting events for TV air time and it ensures that I'm able to watch soccer almost 24/7 all year long.
BossNYC
Registered
MLS Playoffs and MLS Cup get snuffed out by NFL, College Football, MLB Playoffs, NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Hockey.
Playoffs and the Final could be relatively unopposed with a Fall to Spring sfhedule but attendance could suffer in Northern cities for the November, December and February games.
FIFA dates are relatively irrelevant.
21Architect
Registered
Yes yes.
Exactly why I know that an open air stadium would be a disaster.
Nothing was more miserable than watching the Marlins play in an open air stadium in June.
Z4CH3B99
Borracho Aficionado
21Architect
Registered
From 1993-2011 they didn't have one. I was referring to those years.
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